Board of Directors

Steve was born and raised in Chisholm and attended UMD, where he received his bachelor’s degree in Teaching Earth and Space Science. He returned to the Iron Range to pursue a career at Hibbing Taconite, where he has worked since 2006. In his spare time, Steve enjoys reading, playing the guitar, watching nature documentaries, viewing the night sky through his telescope, and spending time outdoors. He also likes trying all of the new recipes that his wife Erin creates and is fortunate to find such a great selection of healthy foods at the Co-op. Steve looks forward to working with the other members of the Board to help ensure the long-term success of our co-op.

When asked as a child what I wanted to be when I grew up, my response was always “Be a beekeeper and have an apple orchard”. I did grow up to do both, as well as growing/producing other local foods. This led to being involved in promoting local food with fellow producers and delving into the business aspects of local food production. As soon as we purchased a home in Soudan, MN I became a Co-op Owner. I am glad to use my skills and time to serve on the board of an entity that has a long history of providing good food to the community and aid in its ability to do so with perpetuity.

Hello Co-op Owners and Community Members. My name is Raini Knaeble-Weiss, I was born and raised in Eveleth. After graduating from high school, I moved away to St. Paul and obtained a bachelor’s degree in English from the College of St. Catherine’s. I later went on to get my master’s degree in Community Counseling from The University of Wisconsin-Superior. I have lived and worked in various positions in mental and behavioral health on the Iron Range since 2007. I am now working as an outpatient therapist for Fairview Range. Being a Co-op Owner is a source of community connection that is important to me. I am passionate about local, humanely raised and responsibly sourced food, which lead to my decision to run for a seat on the board. I am grateful for the opportunity to represent other Co-op Owners and thank you for your vote.

Tera moved to Virginia MN in 2013. She is originally from the area of Saint Paul. She is an Enrolled Agent and has been a small business owner since 2010, specializing in accounting services. She has always been very passionate about supporting local businesses and loves the season of farmers markets. Luckily, we have Natural Harvest all year round! She is honored to be part of such a great organization that shares common values.

Kyle has lived on the Iron Range his entire life. Graduating from Mesabi East in 1999 then pursuing a career in manufacturing at Lake Superior College as a CNC Machine programmer. After over a decade of working in various aspects of manufacturing developing skills working with computers, design and engineering, combined with a passion for playing, writing, and recording music since 16 years old eventually fell into a career in the music industry.

Through those next years of gaining experience he eventually started his own business that still operates to this day. After years of hard work taking its toll with a back injury it became obvious that healthy living had to become a priority to being able to continue to grow in business and in life. This led to a passion of self-improvement to lead a healthy lifestyle with organic living to which the center of that has become the Natural Harvest in our community.

He is honored to now be a part of the board for the Natural Harvest to contribute to the growth of what has become a staple in his life.

I would like to participate in maintaining a valuable community resource that contributes to a healthy lifestyle for myself, family, and community.

My diverse work experience has given me a strong background in grant management, non-profit administration, and financial management.

One of the biggest challenges will be to stay relevant in an increasingly competitive market. Big box retailers continue to increase offerings of organic food and wellness products making it difficulty to attract future customers that are able to achieve one-stop–shopping on a tight household budget.

Growing up, Nick lived in many different states, from the East Coast to the West Coast and North to South. He experienced many regional cultures from all walks of life. All this travel opened his mind and palate to trying new things. He strongly embraces the belief that food should be our medicine and the things we eat, and drink will directly affect our health and wellness.

Nick is excited to be part of the Co-op community and is honored to serve on the board.

Carly was born in Australia, raised in Alango Township, and attended colleges in St. Cloud (SCSU), England, and Duluth (CSS). After graduation, she was an AmeriCorps volunteer with Boys Hope Girls Hope in Phoenix, Arizona. In 2012, Carly moved back to the Cook area to help her Dad recover from his stroke and continues to be his full-time caregiver.
Carly enjoys flower gardening, Qoya, yoga, rock climbing, and being outside. She aims to live a life in right relationship with nature, herself, and others. She is a healthy-living enthusiast, believes in social activism, and loves hiking and xc-skiing with her dog. Carly has a husband, Chris, and together they have a one-year-old son named Atticus.
Carly is honored to be back on the Co-op’s Board of Directors after needing to resign last fall due to her son’s medical issues. She looks forward to listening to owner concerns and working with other board members to see the Co-op continue to grow
and thrive.